Just hours after Indigenous Affairs minister Jenny Macklin told Sky News that the federal government has no intention of setting up a compensation fund for the stolen generation, federal finance minister Lindsay Tanner has told Sky News that victims of the Stolen Generation can take legal action against the government if it fails to establish a compensation fund.

Is this really the same man who told Sky News today that the government needs to keep a tight control on spending to try and prevent future interest rate rises?

Mr. Tanner seems to be just a tad confused about what constitutes “spending”.